How to Decide What Type of Marketing Video to Use

You need to be completely clear about why you are producing a marketing video before determining the type you will use. A video type determines the structure of a video used for marketing. There are several types of marketing videos including storytelling, humorous, serious, animated, and demonstration.

The type is defined by the way it’s cut and produced. It establishes how you will communicate the message and provides instruction for all the people involved in making the video. Select a type of video by considering these factors:

Purpose: You should know why you’re creating a video. When you understand the specific problem you’re solving with your video, you can then focus on video types that will have the greatest impact on viewers.

Audience: Will the video inspire customers, partners, employees — or all three groups? Knowing who your audience is and knowing what makes them respond are fundamental to choosing a video type that connects with them in a meaningful way.

Context: You should know where, when, and how people are attracted to your video, and you should know what they’re expecting when they click the Play button. Sometimes you want to meet expectations, but often you want to surpass them.

Distribution: Your choice of where to distribute videos matters, too. The type of video that’s created for interoffice use may not be appropriate for mass consumption on YouTube.

Time: Time can be your friend or your enemy. Amazingly, four minutes of video can seem like a lifetime, whereas a compelling 15-minute segment can leave viewers wanting more. Video length can also be determined by production capabilities.

Budget: The amount of money you can afford to spend on video styling can either open doors or close them. Some styles are more elaborate — boosting costs — and others are simpler to create based on readily available locations, props, and talent.

After you consider all these factors, you can select one of the many types of video that will move people to action in a powerful way.